The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-10-19

by proposing the forfeiture OF earned as well AZ
unearned lands and that because OF differences
Of detail between the two houses, this bill
originating in the Senate. failed TO become a
law. That the Senate passed a law FORGETTING
$500 acres OF land in Northwestern Iowa,
which. although in the House for year, was
not permitted To pass the House during the last
two sessions Of Congress. So that with respect
to this forfeiture of unearned lands. no bills
passed the House that did not also pass the Re
publican senate, and the Democratic party can
make no claim In this direction that cannot
also be made by the Republican Senate To
facilitate the restoration Of railroad lands To
the public domain, Congress at the last session
passed O law requiring the Secretary of the In
terror to make an adjustments OF all land grants
actual grants. Under this law IL 10 the duty OF
the Interior Department To re-examine these
hand grants and to make restoration TO the
public domain OF all lands not actually due TO
the railroads. From this you SEQ that the ad.
justment they are now making in the Land
Department with reference ~ those land grants
are going on under the direction OF the law,
and In pursuance OF law. And that indemnity
lands stated 10 have been restored by simple
voltion of the President are being restored be-
cause tho law requires them TO be restored in
case of forfeiture the indemnity lands reserved
must be restored with the forfeiture lands
And in case OF examination under the laws OF
March. 1887, indemnity lands not required 10
execute the grants must be restored TO the
market. SO, / repeat the land policy OF to-
day Is the land policy OF Congress estab-
lished first by a Republican Congress and
continued by a Democratic House and Repub-
entitled to share at least equally with the DEM
ocratic party whatever merit there is in the
present policy respecting our public lands. save
only that think, the Republican party does
not care to share that part OF the land policy
which withholds from honest and actual settlers
the title which they ought To receive for the
lands taken up under the homestead laws OF
the country. As far as know, Republicans
are willing that that part OF our public land
policy shall be enjoyed by the Democracy. He
said in making this statement he wanted also
attention before r.
Clevelands inauguration, and during the adj
ministration OF Secretaries kirkwood and Tel
Ter, Congress authorized n thorough examine
tion OF fraudulent entries Of public lands, and
appropriated ample funds to make these exam
nations which examination had been going on
for more than two years before March, 1885.
Mr.. Allison, speaking OF the civil service,
said that notwithstanding the promise OF an
improved civil service, the most faithful and
efficient employees in the departments have
been removed and their places filled, in many
instances by men incompetent for the work !;
that the general business OF the Government
was not as efficiently and promptly conducted
as under the Republican administration and
| that our civil service, instead OF being i'm
proved as promised. was now in much worse
condition than when President Cleveland as
sumed control OF the Government
| Mr.. Allison, in conclusion aud in summing
| up, said: You naturally, after this review, ask
what has the Democratic party accomplished
| In power? II elected n President who, before
| election, ana after election, and before inaugu-
ration, and repeatedly since, IL messages and
public utterances, protested the greatest solicit
tude for pure and non-partisan civil service.
| But in his conduct he has wholly failed TO pro-
| vide such service, and has prostituted the
service wholly 70 party purposes and uses hrst
stealthily but recently without disguise, IA
witness it's prostitution in Maryland, Penn
sylvania, and New York, controlling eau
cuses and conventions, notably in New York,
| where the Chairman of the Examining
| Board in New York City actively sought to con.
now the establishment OF political associations
| of clerks and employees in the department to
control caucuses and elections. in violation OF
| the letter and spirit OF the civil-service law.
| without protest from the heads OF departments
or the executive, so far as is known. In its for
| eign policy ii bas been irresolute and weak In
| its financial policy Ii has urged the destruction
OF greenbacks and the repeal OF the silver coin
| age acts, 80 that by force OF these two meas
| ures there would be destruction OF our paper
| circulation and tho establishment Of the
single standard Of gold Promising to re-
| duce the surplus ii has increased that sur
plus to the extent OF s74,0OO,0O. withdraw
| ing large sums from production, labor. and
| business. Promising to reduce taxes. it has
| absolutely and conspicuously failed to do So
| whereby from month to month large sums un-
| necessary for the operation Of the Government
| are drawn from the people into the Treasury
| thus continuing to depress tho labor industries
| and business OF the country. We have seen
| the Democratic party demonstrate its sectional
ism in its power in its policies, and in its lead
| ers. holding that control in one section united
| now by sentiment as il was formerly by q
| single interest. This sectional control domi
| mates at home and abroad, in the departments
in the country and in the House of Representa-
| tives. as have shown.
This first is seen in vetoes OF numerous mer
! itorious private pension bills, and more con
| spicuously in the veto OF the dependent pen
| sion bill so-calied. intended to provide for the
| prematurely old soldiers Of the Republic who
from no fault OF their own, are unable to carr
| a living. whilst at the same time signing
bill identical in principle applied to the sol
| diers serving in the Mexican war. We have
seen this spirit in the proposal TO return to th
Confederate States the most cherished tro
phies of the war; and finally we have seen ev
| erv promise OF the party to secure power practi
cally disregarded in the exercise OF power &C
quired.